Lens for headlights



Feb-27, 1923. 1,446,607

' R. T. WING LENS FOR HEADLIGHTS Filed Oct. 21, 1920 2 sheets-sheet l INVENTOR.

7Fusse// 7." W709 ATTORNEY *7 A9 Ide Feb. 27, 1923.

R. T. WING LENS FOR HEADLIGHTS Filed Oct. 21, 1920 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented Feb. 27, 1923.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RUSSELL r. WING, or s'r. CLOUD, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR TO write CORPORATION, or

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA, A coaronarron or DELAWARE.

LENS FOR HEADLIG-H'I'S.

Application filed October 21, 1920. Serial No. 418,512.

To alfiwhom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RUssELL T. ING,

a citizen of the United States, residing at St. Cloud, in the county of Stearns and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Lenses for Headlights; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My present invention relates to headlight lenses for automobiles and other road vehicles and accomplishes, in an improved way and by an improved means and in a more satisfactory manner, the general objects of the inventions disclosed in my pending applications, entitled Headlights, the one filed of date March 22,. 1920, under Serial Number 367 ,733, and the other filed of date March 11, 1920, 'under Serial Number 365,115. r

Generally stated, the object of the prior inventions and the present invention is good road illumination with a non-blinding light beam, that is, with a light beam that will not produce blinding effects to the eyes of persons in approaching machines, but will project a large amount of light onto the road and a defused lightabove and ahead of the machine to illuminate overhead ob- 'ects. V

J The present invention carries'the above object to greater perfection by dimming or .eclipsing considerably less than one quadrantof the upper half of the headlight lens and by downwardly deflecting a considerable portion of the remaining part of the upper half of the light beam, so that it will reach the road ahead of the machine. Thus,

, a part of the upper half of the light beam.

including both direct and reflected rays. will be dimmedgbut the greater part of the upper half of said light beam will be downwardly deflected; and both of these results prevent blinding effects of the li ht beam. The'present invention, as preferably carried out, involves also otherimportant features, as will hereinafter appear. I

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrate the invention, like characters indicate-like parts throughout the several views.

improved lens'as preferably designed;

Figs. 2, 3, 4:, 5 and 6 are sect-ions taken,

respectively, on the lines 22, 33,' M,

5-5 and 66 of Fig. l;

Fig. 7 is a view corresponding to Fig. 1, buf-1 illustrating a modified form of the lens; an r V Figs. 8, 9, 10,11 and 12 are sections taken, respectively, on the lines 8-S, 99, 1010, 11-11. and 1212 of Fig. 7.

The preferred form of the lens illustrated in Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive will first be described.

The lens 13, as illustrated and as preferably constructed, is made concavo convex in form with a smooth convex exterior surface, the various prismatic and otherwise formed zones thereof being on the concave interior of the lens. p I a In this improved lens, the upper and lower halves thereof are very differently constructed so as to have very different functions or effects on the light beam that will be projected therethrough from 'the headlight to which the lens will be applied in the customary or any suitable way. The so-called lower half of the lens, marked D on Fig. 1, is below a horizontal line 1 3 that substal'ltially intersects the axis of the center of the lens, and the so-called upper half of the lens is all or substantially all above such horizontal line. The lower half zone D, in some instances, maybe leftzone C is a curved segment that extends inward from the rim portionof the lens. substantially radially inward but past the center of the lens. Moreover. this zone or segment 0, as it approaches the. rim of the lens, rises above the horizontal axial or dividing line yy sov as to lift the small radial zone B. The zone .B is a curved segment located between the zone or segment. C and the zone or segment A.

The segmental zone B (note particularly Figs. 1 and 2) is formed with a plurality, as shown two, horizontally extended prismatic portions. that are arranged to deflect, downward and onto the road, all ofthe direct and reflected rays that are projected therethrough.

The zone B may be treated as a separated continuation of the lowerprisi'n' of the zone B, and, hence, light rays passed through this zone B will also be deflected onto the road. The zone C, above described, in some instances, might be opaque, but, preferably, is translucent," being either grounddrosted or tinted so as to positively intercept all blinding rays.

The zone 'A is of a peculiar formation and is divided into prismatic sub-sections sepa} rated at y on Fig. 1. o'f said zoneA a redifferent prismatic surfaces,'which, in a horizontal direction, (see particularly Fig. 3), are beveled in a direct'ion'to cause light rays, passedtherethrongh, to spread and deflected'horizontally toward the inner side of the road. In vertical cross section (seeFig. 5), the prisms of saidzone A are ofwave like form so that "the "light rays passedtherethroughwill be spread Vertically, thereby" causing some thereof to reach the road and some to be diffused above the road ahead, of themachindso as to illiim'inateoverhead objects, such'as might do damage to themachine.

V 'The" zoned as noted, is a lifiht intercepting zone, "while the other zones or prismatic surfaces may be and preferably are clear glass! Nevertheless, said light-intercepting zone C might also be prismatic and, as said zone (J wouldibemadeto son'iewhat approach transparency, the prismatic surfaccs'thereot should befarrangedto deflectthe light rays at least slightlydownward;

' The lens describedshould be applied to the headlight-in such amnn'er that its lefthand' side, Fig. 1, (the right-hand side. in respect to the driver) would be toward that side of the road nearest to which, in accordance with the rules of, the road, the antomobile or vehicle should travel, and the right--hand side of the lens; as shown in Fig. 1, shouldbe toward the center of the road.

\Vhen this improved lens, just described, is applied as above stated; it will function as follows} The direct and refle fted rays that are projected" througlrthelowerlialf D of the lens will reach tlieqground aheadof the machine. The directand'refiected rays that would pro duce blinding in the eyes" of 'the driver of an approaching machinefareintercepted by the "fopaqiie or translucent zone CI The refiected'iayS passed through the zones B- an d an ideal road illumination.

The two subdivisions l B will be deflected onto the ground ahead of the machine. The prisms A cause the light to pass therethrough to spread vertithe light beam, in order to prevent blinding,

and disposes of the clear part of the beam in such a manner that it will properly illuminate the road. and other-objects along the'line of travelw ithout producing blinding effectsupon the eyes of persons inapproaching machincsh Thus,- the objects of the invention are accomplished so far as non-blinding concerned, and'a maximum road-lighting eliiciency is also accon' plished.

It mav be further noted that with the lens above described, the light-rays are eclipsed 1 or madedim in considerably less than; a quadrant orf degrees of the lens (preferably less than 45 degrees) and thus, the

greater part of the lens may be left-clear.

so that the a light ray P 'frely therethrough but will be deflected thereby substantially as aboye'sta-te d.

In the modified "form; of the lenssh'own in Figs. to 12fincli1sive, the lowerh alf of the lens is preferably construe-ted in the same inanneras thelower half or the lens above described in detail. The upper half of the lens, however,"is divided into two zones A and C Thezoiie C as preterably constructed,-=is colored'green or orange or lightly sanded or iroslted so that it will pass considerablelight but-will intercept blinding rays, and," at the rim of the lens,

it extends approximately 90 degrees-"from the liorizontal "dividing line betWeen the up- 3 per-and lower approximate half sections of the lensgand, at its converging inner portlOIl, it crossesavertical line 'drawnflthrough the axis'ot the lens." Thus, this "zone; C

will intercept direct and reflected rays that would"otherwiseproduce the most blinding effects H] the eyesof persons i-na )proachrug machines. Moreover, as preferably constructed, this zone (17, on-i'ts inner surface, istornied with small horizontal prisms see Figs. 7,8 and 12) thattend to pro-c, duce a dmvnward' defletion of suchflight rays as are passed through said zone'Q The zone A. as preferably-constructed, is

- provided onits'y inner' sidewyitli two--1a'r' e;--

horizoiitz'illy extended prisms orprism'a'tifc snrfaces- "(SEQ particularly Figs. 7; saneii) both of which predate dow'inward-defiection of the light rays thaftpas's therethrough and thus throw suc'hirays nto-"themed ahead of the'j'machine where;theywill'prodnee gem-1 road illumination without preaueingbiiaa ing effects in the eyes of persons in approaching machines.

Both lenses illustrated are concavo convex in general form, but the features of construction described may, of course, be applied to approximately flat lenses, although the best results are accomplished by the use of the concavo convex lenses, which give a wider range of light defusion.

In both form of the lens,-as illustrated,

all of the lower part of the light beam and a greater part of the upper part of the half section of the light beam will reach the ground ahead of the machine, thereby giving the best possible road illumination. A small part of the upper portion of the beam will be diffused and less than half of the upper part of the light beam will be intercepted or dimmed to prevent blinding effects. I

The purpose of curving the edges of the segmental light-intercepting zone in a direction outwardly and upwardly is as follows: A person in a car, at quite a distance from the oncoming car, may look at the headlight directly in front thereof and, at such time, the filament will be cut out of direct vision by the converging inner portion of such intercepting zone. As the cars more closely approach, each turns out of line of the travel of the other and the line of vision to the filament raises or increases its angle in respect to a horizontal, and this requires increasing rise in the intersecting zone, such as afforded by the curving of the outwardly converging edges thereof. Also, as the machines approach, greater vertical extension of the intercepting zone is highly desirable and this also is afforded by the arrangement described.

What I claim is:

14A headlight lens having in its upper portion a light-intercepting zone extended at one side through materially less than 90 degrees, the main upper zone of said lens being prismatic and its prisms being constructed andarranged to produce a downward deflection of' the light rays assed therethrough, the lower part of sai being formed with vertical corrugations or wave-like surfaces that spread laterally the light rays passed therethrough.

2. A headlight lens having in its upper portion a light-intercepting zone extended at one side through materially less than 90 lens degrees, the main upper zone of said lens being prismatic and its prisms being constructed and arranged to produce a downward deflection of the light rays passed th erethrough, said light-intercepting zone hav ing its greatest circumferential width near the rim of the lens and converging inwardly and extended to a point on the opposite side of the center of said lens.

3. A headlight lens having in its upper portion a light-intercepting zone extended at one side thereof through materially less than 90 degrees, the main upper zone of said lens being formed with two classes of prisms, the inner of which prisms are constructed and arranged to deflect light rays downward and the outer of which are constructed and arranged to deflect light rays laterally outward.

4. A headlight lens having in its upper portion a light-intercepting zone extended at one side thereof through materially less than 90 degrees, the main upper zone of said lens being formed with two classes of prisms, the inner of which prisms are constructed and arranged to deflect light rays downward and the outer of which are constructed and arranged to deflect light rays laterally outward and both upwardly and downwardly.

5. A headlight lens having in its upper portion a light-intercepting zone extended at one side through materially less than 90 degrees, the main upper zone of said lens being prismatic and constructed and arranged to produce a downward deflection of the light rays passed therethrough, said lightintercepting zone having curved outwardly and upwardly diverging edge portions.

6. A headlight lens having in its upper portion a light-intercepting zone extended at one side through materially less than 90 degrees, the main upper zone of said lens being prismatic and constructed and arranged to produce a downward deflection of the light rays passed therethrough, said light-intercepting zone having curved outwardly and upwardly edge portions, the lower of which rises above a horizontal line that intersects the axi of the lens, leaving a small outwardly radiating zone above said line, said latter zone being prismatic and ar. ranged to produce a downward deflection of light.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

RUSSELL T. WING. 

